1. Turned on grass to go down the edge of a riverside dyke (not that sort!), front wheel went out, I went other way 8 feet down the dyke. Sat up and thought, 'Hmm, not bad', in one of those 'time goes slowly' moments. Then the bike landed across the back of my neck.
2. Going round Rushop Edge and Edale, down a 'bloody ell' steep descent. Front wheel stopped, I went over the left side of bars. Leg went through the frame and pedal spikes ripped 3 gashes the length of my shin.
3. Lost control on gravel road when I was a kid. Slid sideways down the hill opening my elbow to the bone.
4. Front wheel slipped out on that bloody awful dolomite that Doncaster council loves to use around Sprotborough. Went flat on my face.
5. Me and a friend on the same bloody awful dolomite track 2 years later - Both of us came off three times. He broke both his thumbs.
6. Riding my new shiny Raleigh Merlin down my Mum's garden. Hit the bricks on the edge of a border, then somersaulted clean over a 6 foot wide fuchsia bush and landed flat in my back on the lawn beyond it.
7. While on a 25 mile mud-plugging ride, tore ligaments in both knees, was fobbed off by a doctor for 3 months, so just sat home every single night with ice packs until another doctor realised the damage. Ended up with recurring chronic patellar bursitis, knee tracking problems and oblique muscles gone to nothing. Was in constant pain, could not walk properly for months, needed 3 months of physio, with instruction to continue at home for another year. Didn't ride for 2 years. I've got to the stage where I can ride without pain and start building up after 3 years.
)
